Counting mechanism for printing machines



Sept. 4, 1923.

OUNTINGMMECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES E. P. SHELDON I Filed Feb. l2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT`YS n Sept. 4; 1923.

E. P. SHELDON COUNTING MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. l2; 1921 3 SheetsSheet 2 KO N [NVE NTOR ATT`Ys.

SpfQ 4, T9231 v` Y L466J672 E. P. SHELDON coUNTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES f Filed Feb. l2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented l Sept. 4', 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

EDWARD P. SHELDON, 0F YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO R. HOE AND CO., 0F ANIMH YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

COUNTING MECHANISM FOB RINTING MACHINES.

Application led February 1 2, 1921. Serial 110.4445408.

T o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD P. SHELDON, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York city, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting Mechanism for Printing Machines, fully described and represented ih the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in counting mechanisms, and has been particularly designed for counting the products produced and handled in a printing machine or the like.

In counting printed products in printing presses it has been heretofore customary to operate this counting mechanism from some rot-ary member of the machine, the counting mechanism being actuated for each revolution of such member, whether `or not a product was passing through or not, resulting in an incorrect count of products. Furp thermore such counting mechanisms have been actuated from a member located at some point of the machine prior to the actual delivery with the result that in the event of a choke or other interference with the passing of a product, the counting mechanism would still be actuated, although a certain number of productsn would be wasted, and this wastage could not readily be calculated.

It is the especial object of the present invention to provide a simple and accurately operating mechanism for countingn such products in which the actuating mechanism is controlled bythe product itself, so that the' number of products actually delivered from a given machine may be counted and wastage of paper through the machine-calculated, it being known how many products 0f any predetermined character a given amount of paper will produce.

A further object of the invention lis to roduce an improved mechanism for counting the products which is located at the de livery of a printing or similar machire, so that the final perfected product is counted, and no-count is made for a product until it has passed the delivery.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved counting mechani m for the purposes indicated, whereby pructs forwarded in different paths may be accurately counted on se arate counting mechanisms or all the prodhcts counted on one mechanism.

With these .and other objects not specifically referred to in view, theinvention consists in certain novel parts and combinations which will be described fully in connection with the accompanying drawings which il- .of the construction shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction. 0f the arrow A in that figure. v

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the upper part of the mechanism shown in Fi l, the View being taken on the irregular line 3 3 of that figure.

` Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing an arrangement which may be adopted for registering on one counting mechanism the products forwarded in different paths, the y parts being shown in which the counting mechanism is actuated from the upper delivery.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in the positionoccupied when thecounting mechanism is operated from the lower delivery.

Referringnow lto these drawings, the invention has been shown in connection with a delivery which may be part of a printing machine, though it will be understood that it may be used in other relations and with other types of mechanisms for forit may be desired to accurately count.

While the particular type of delivery may ,95 warding printed products or the like which ioo the ress, not illustrated, the sheets are forwar ed by forwarding rolls 2, 3- suitably mounted in the frame, to a collecting mechanism shown in the form of a cylinder 4 having three sets of grippers 5, 6 and 7 and tucking blades 8. y

The collected products are delivered alternately from the collecting cylinder 4 to a pair of delivery cylinders 9, 10, provided with the usual folding jaws 11 into which the centre of the sheets is tucked by the tucking blade 8 and the sheet held on the cylinder. The products are, therefore, in the particular construction illustrated, delivered in two separate paths.

In accordance with the invention means are provided whereb these products may be accurately counte the actuating mechanismfor the counters dbeing controlled by the products themselves. While such mechanisms may be employed at any desired point in the paths of the products to the delivery preferably such mechanism will be arranged at the final delivery so that only the erfected roducts actually delivere will e counted and any wast age may be accurately determined. The specific mechanism whereby the result aimed at may be accomplished may be of various characters, but where, as in the present instance, there is more than one final delivery such mechanism will be the same for each delivery employed.

In the particular construction illustrated, the delivery cylinders areprovided (see Fig. 2) with rooves 12 extending around the cylinder in which work stripper ngers 13 carried on a shaft 14 mounted in the frames 1, these stripper fingers acting to strip the sheets from the cylinders. As the sheets are stripped they are delivered to any suitable device by which they are removed from the machine, as by tapes 15.

Positioned 1n the path of the sheets so as to be controlled thereby are devices for actuatlng the mechanism by which the count ivxgl o the perfected products is efected.

ile the specific character of these means may be somewhat varied, in the particular construction illustrated there is provided for each delivery an actuator in the form of a roll 16. This roll is carried on a stud/'17 in one end of anarm 18 mounted on a rock vshaft 19 extending across the machine and supported in the frames 1, before referred to. This rock shaft 19 beyond the frame 1 at one side, has fast thereon a hub 20 from which depends a rock arm 21. l The arm 21 has secured thereto one end of` a link 22. The other end of this link 22 is connected to a pawl arm 23 on a hub 24 carried on a stud 25 mounted in one of the side frames 1. On this hub is a ratchet 26 with which co-operates a pawl 27 pivoted on the pawl arm 23, before; referred to. Also secured' to the hub 24 is a gear 28 which meshes with a similar gear 29 carried on a stud 30 suitably supported in the main frame 1. This gear 29 carries a plate 31 to the periphery of which is secured one end of a link 32, this link at its other end being connected to a rod 33 which operates a counting mechanism indicated at 34. As shown there are two of these counting mechanisms, 34, 35, one for each of the deliveries.

The' actuator roll 16 is normally held in one of the grooves 12 of its delivery c linder so as to lie in the path of the product 'orwarded by the cylinder. This may be easily accomplished by providing an arm 36 on the hub 80 2O which, as before referred to, is fast on the rock shaft 19 from which the actuator roll 16 is carried. This arm 36 is connected to a spring rod construction -37 through which the actuator roll is normally held in the B5 groove.

In the operation of the device an advancing product marked P comes in contact with the actuator roll and lifts the roll out of the groove, as indicated in the lower delivery 00 shown in Fig. V.1. When this occurs, through the connections described the ratchet 26 is advanced a certain number of teeth, say two for instance, so that when the actuator roll has been operated ten times the ratchet will have been advanced twenty teeth, and likewise the gear 28. This causes one full rotation of the small gear 29, which has a corresponding number of teeth, say twenty. This operation of the small gear through the link 32 registers one action upon the counting mechanism, which ma be arranged to indicate that ten perfecte products fior instance, have been delivered. It will be understood, of course, that the figures given are purely arbitrary, and that the movement and proportions of the ratchet and gears and` counting mechanism may be varied as desired. This construction is, however, ar-

'ticullarly useful with fast running machines 110 where the products are delivered very rapidly, but the connections may be so adjusted that the passage of each roduct through the delivery wi leifect an 1n ividual action on the counting mechanism which may be used if desired with slow running machines in which the products are delivered slowly.

With the construction so far described it will be seen that an accurate count of perfeet products actually delivered may be obtained, and that there is no false counting as in constructions where the revolution of a cutting cylinder or similar part is relied upon to actuate the counting mechanism, 25 and at the same time by getting this accurate count of perfect products waste may be readily calculated.v l

In the construction so far described, with each delivery provided with a, counting 13o mechanism two dilferent styles of product may beproduced upon the machine and each accurately counted.

It may be desirable in some instances Where the product to each delivery is the same to combine theamount of the products of both deliveries upon one or the other of the counting mechanisms. A convenient construction for eii'ecting this is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. ln theparticular construction there illustrated additional pawl arms 38 are provided von the ratchet studs 25, before referred to. These arms 38 carry pawls 39 pivoted thereto and the arms are connected together by links 40., If it be desired to indicatethe count of bot-h deliveries on the counting mechanism 35, as shown in Fig. 4, the pawls 39 and 27 of the lower delivery would be silenced and the pawls 39 and 2? of the lipper delivery would be operated, the pawl 39 being operated through the link 40 4from the lower pa-wl arm 23. As the products are alternately delivered by the collecting cylinder to the upper and lowerdelivery cylinders, the upper pawls 39 and 27 would operate tov register the products delivered from both deliveries on the counting mech anism-B.

On the other hand, if it was desired to use the counting mechanism 34, the pawls 39 and 27 of the upper delivery would be silenced and the pawls 39 and 27 of the lower delivery would be utilized to effect the count from both deliveries by the counting mechanism 34.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form it Will be understood that various formsv of devices actuated by the product might be emplo ed and that the mechanism might be located at points otherthan atthe delivery, andy in types of sheet handling and forwarding machines other than printing presses wit-hout departing from the invention as defined by.

the appended claims.

'Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination with means Jfor forwarding a product in different paths, of counting mechanisms one foreach product path, and means controlled by the products y whereby all the products may be counted by one counting mechanism or the productsV from each path may be separately counted.

2. The combinationv with means for forwarding a product in different paths, of

counting mechanisms, one for each productl path, and means normally projecting into the paths of the products and actuated by the products for operating the counting mechanisms, whereby all the products may be counted by one counting mechanism or the products-from each lpath may be separately counted.

v3. The combination with a plurality of deliveries to which products are alternately forwarded, of counting mechanisms, one for each delivery, and means located at each delivery controlled by the products whereby all the products may be counted by one counting mechanism or the products -from each delivery may be separately counted.

4. The combination with a plurality of deliveries to which products are alternately forwarded, of counting mechanisms, and means located at each delivery normally projecting into the paths of the products and actuated by the products foroperating 'they livery cylinder normally held in the path of a .product thereon and moved by the product, counting mechanisms one for each Adelivery cylinder, and connections between the rolls and the counting'mechanism for actuating the latter whereby the products from each of the cylinders may be separately counted orl all the products 'from the cylinders may be counted on one counting mechanism.

6. The combination with means itin*l forwarding a sheet, of a collecting cylinder, a plurality of delivery cylinders to which the products are alternately delivered by the colecting cylinder, an actuator roll for each delivery cylinder normally projectingv into the path of a product thereon and moved by the product, counting mechanisms lone lfor each delivery cylinder, and connections loetween the rolls and the counting mechanisms whereby the product from each delivery may be separately counted or all the products from the deliveries may be counted on one counting mechanism. r

7. The combination of means for forwarding a, product, ot a delivery cylinder to which the product is forwarded, said cylinder having peripheral grooves, an actuator roll normally held in a groove so as to lie in the path of a product on the cylinder llt) and to be moved away from the cylinder by roll foreach cylinder normally held in the i path of a product on the cylinders and' moved by the product, counting mechanisms one for each cylinder, connections from the f roll including a pawl and ratchet for actuating the counting mechamsms, and connections whereby the rolls may actuate both ratchets to actuate each counting mechanism or whereby both rollsmay operate one ratchet without actuating but one counting mechanism.

9. The combination` with a plurality of delivery cylinders, of means for alternately forwarding products thereto, an actuating roll 'for each cylinder normally held in the path of a product on the cylinder and moved by the product, countinv mechanisms .one for each cylinder, a ratcliet for each c linder,a awl for each ratchet operated rom the rol s, connections from the ratchets to each counting mechanism, a second pawl for `each ratchet, connections from the rolls f or operating the second pawls, and means con.-

necting the pawl operating connections so that one 'of the ratchets may be operated by all the rolls and the products of the cylinders counted on one counting mechanism.

10. The combination of a plurality of deliver cylinders, means for alternately forwar ing products thereto, a pivoted actuator for each cylinder normally held in the path of a product thereon and moved by the product, a pawl and ratchet operated by each roll, a counting mechanism, connections from each ratchet to a counting mechanism for actuating the counting mechanisms independently, and connectlons whereby the actuators operate onel'ratchet to cause the products from all the cylinders to lbe counted on one counting mechanism.

11. The combination of a deliverycylinder and means for forwarding-- a product thereto, a peripheral groove inthe cylinder, an actuator roll working in the groove so as to lie in the path of a product on the cylinder and to be moved away from the c linder by the product, and counting mec anism and connections from the roll for operating the counting mechanism.

12. The combination of a delivery cylinder and'meansA for forwarding a product thereto, a peripheral groovevin the cylinder, anactuator roll normally spring held inthe groove so as to lie in the path of a roduct on the cylinder -and to be move against the spring from the cylinder by the product, and counting mechanismand connections from the roll to the counting mechanism. 1

In testimonywhereof Ihave hereunto set m hand.

y EDWARD P. sHELDoN. 

